take these pictures away
by Shadokin
Summary: Max and Victoria hang out at a park. [Post Game, no spoilers; BDay Prompt: Max and Victoria being models for each other]


Max felt a tap on her chin and pressed her lips together.

"Keep your mouth closed." She was told. Max rolled her eyes, and blew air at Victoria's face.

"Hey, my mouth was opened!" Victoria pulled away, looking scandalized with her head turned from her. Max smiled and kept still, watching Victoria's exaggerated movements.

"You should take your own advice." Max said in jest, maintaining her posture of sitting cross-legged on a large rock, camera in her lap and head titled down.

It was weird having Victoria pose her. Or posing for Victoria at all.

"If you're not going to take this seriously, we can go."

"Victoria, I was just teasing. That's what friends do." Max said, and Victoria's face twitched. It was unlike the first few weeks at Blackwell, their rivalry an ever rising tension whenever they crossed paths.

 _A whole lifetime ago._ Max thought. Months had gone by since that week in October, and now they were together at a park on a nice day, hanging out and taking photos of each other.

Victoria laughed, moving back to turning Max's head how she wanted.

"This feels weird." Max said, eyes away from Victoria's face, who was so close to hers, and whose fingertips brushed over her cheeks and jaw and making her heart ache a bit.

"Yes, well…" Victoria said, and then her hands were gone and she looked at Max in speculation. "All right, let's try this."

Victoria grabbed her camera and aimed to at her subject. Max's eye stayed looking down at her camera, letting Victoria take her shots. But it was only a few clicks in that something in the picture looked wrong.

She liked exact images. Victoria would get an idea in her head and do her best to recreate it with her models. And Max looked great, her hoodie tied around her waist and wearing a shirt that just said 'smile' on it. It didn't fit though.

"Why not just tell me what you want?" Max asked, seeing Victoria ready to set her camera down to reposition her again. "I'm sure I can follow a little direction."

Victoria lowered the lens and looked at how Max was posed.

"Sit in front of the rock." She said it like she was worried how it would turn out. Max slid from the rock onto the ground, landing with a small thud and smiling up at her. Victoria immediately took the shot.

The image on the camera was blurry, a streak of light from the sun blinding out Max's face. Victoria frowned and took another shot. It didn't feel odd to take pictures of Max while she smiled at her, but that didn't stop the nervous flutter in her stomach.

She wasn't oblivious either. She knew why.

"Maybe turn more my way." Victoria instructed, but then Max's front was blocked by shadow. It wasn't what she looking for.

"No, you need to…" Victoria couldn't help it, crossing over to Max and crouching back down beside her. "You don't look natural enough."

Max huffed, pulling away when Victoria tried to grab Max's camera from her lap "That's because you keep telling me what to do."

"Yes, well, I _am_ the photographer here."

"A lot of the shots aren't going to be great, c'mon Victoria just… keep at it." Max said, pressed back against the rock, not exactly looking upset but still miffed over… what? She was the one who had suggested hanging out, suggested the photo op.

Victoria sighed, biting her lip and wondering what to do. Her camera was still in her hand, and Max was sitting there looking frustrated.

"Smile."

Max blinked at the click in her ear, turning over to see Victoria's lens in her face. Victoria snapped more in succession, and Max tried to smile, but it was too sudden and close and she was afraid she was forcing it. When Victoria looked down to see the results, she didn't look too happy either.

"Alright, you know what, it's my turn again." Max said, getting to her feet and stepping around Victoria. It was almost amusing, the way Victoria turned around so quickly, looking offended as she moved to get up.

Max took the shot.

"That's," Victoria said, "I wasn't ready!"

Max smiled and laughed, the polaroid leaving the camera. She shook it in her hand and waited for it to clear, then held it out.

"It's not the best, but it's still a nice picture." She said, and allowed Victoria to stare at the image of herself, red in the face and mouth opened.

"Thanks for getting my good side." She said tonelessly, waving it away. Max set it over on the table their bags were at before pointing her camera back at Victoria and looking eager.

"Let's head for that tree?" She suggested, pointing over to the tall deciduous a small walk away. Victoria shrugged and turned to head there. She glanced back when she saw the flash from Max's camera going off. She was given a cheeky smile.

"Sorry, I didn't want to miss that one."

Max had Victoria pose with her back to the tree, walking around the trunk while keeping a hand out to touch the bark.

It was innocently beautiful, the way Victoria carried herself. Max took a few shots with her polaroid, then switched out to the digital she kept on her. She hated to admit that analog was still wicked expensive, and she wanted to luxury to take as many pictures as she wanted.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" Max said, looking through the camera as Victoria pretended she had no interest in what she was doing. Because Max wanted photos of life, which was hard because taking pictures of people usually made them tense up.

"Like what? I woke up late again, I nearly forgot my makeup because I had to go talk to Courtney about an assignment. Oh, Brooke gave me the evilest look when she heard me on the phone with Kate."

Max made a noise, looking thoughtful as she took a few steps to the right and adjusted her lens.

"You didn't wake up late. You just… sleep in now."

Victoria was looking directly at the camera, and before her eyes could turn into a glare, Max took the shot.

"Yeah, don't think I don't notice how you've noticed that."

There was always little pokes between them, about them. Max felt her shoulders tense and tried to relax. She caught the pink on Victoria's cheeks and zoomed in on her face.

"I notice. Of course I notice," She said softly, and Victoria had an arm around the back of the trunk, leaning into it like it was a fashion station. At Max's voice she let the side of her head rest against the tree, looking to the side with a wistful look.

Max clicked at her camera and said, "I mean your room's right across from mine."

The small smile disappeared from Victoria's face, and she stuck her tongue out at her.

"Oh! Good one!" Max said, taking the shot and smiling to Victoria. Victoria smirked back at her, looking smug.

That was it.

"Hey, do you have your phone on you?" Max asked. Victoria's hand immediately went to her pants pocket and took it out.

"Take some selfies." She said and raised her camera. "And then I'll, y'know, take shots of that."

A few seconds and Victoria was laughing, a little bit longer and a little bit louder than Max was used to hearing. She nearly missed taking a shot, distracted by the feeling of her heart skipping a beat.

"All right." Victoria said, voice a little too high, smile too light, and Max wondered how this had happened. Sure, they had been friends now longer than enemies but it was like a shock to see how relaxed Victoria was.

Victoria made faces at her phone, leaning back against the tree, then going around to the other side to get better lighting.

She smiled for a few pictures. Max got down on one knee and took a profile shot, finding herself staring too hard at the way Victoria bit her lip, wondering if she was doing it on purpose.

Victoria titled her the screen of her phone, catching the stunned look on Max's face.

"Do you have anything you want to talk about?" Victoria asked, turning her head to look down at her.

A breeze blew by, Max's hair going over her eyes. "Uh… I probably need a haircut," She said. "And it is getting late, perhaps we should start heading back?"

The sun had just met the horizon, light streaming over the park still in brilliant soft orange light.

"Just a couple more, come here." Victoria said, holding an arm out for Max to join her. Hesitant, Max stood back up and edged into Victoria's side, Victoria's arm around her back and hand on her bicep.

"Smile." Victoria said, look at the screen and waiting for Max before hitting the button. Max's arm went around Victoria's back, reaching her hand up towards her shoulder.

"Oh no, you're huggable." Max said after the third picture. She squeezed Victoria and turned on her side to bring her other arm around her.

Victoria blushed, Max's face now pressed against her shoulder. Victoria looked at the screen of the pair of them.

"Hey Max, look up. Last one." Victoria said, and Max raised her head, a gentle smile on her face as she looked at the screen again. Victoria's eyes glimmered, lowering her head until her voice was in Max's ear.

"…I like you."

And she took the shot.


End file.
